MF
Forbidden Books
March 20th, 2015
Embracing Diversity in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
"’Who has the most hope?’ ‘White people,’ my parents said at the same time”(Alexie 45). This is one of the first interactions dealing with the huge split between the Whites and Indians in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. This book initially takes place in the Spokane Indian Reservation. The story then switches to the white area of Washington when Junior, the protagonist, goes to Reardan High School, which is located in the “rich, white farm town that sits in the wheat fields exactly twenty- two miles away from the rez” (Alexie 45). There are many themes all throughout this book. The main themes of this book are that confidence is stronger than everything else. Without that Junior wouldn’t have had the strength to go to a high school with completely different people. Another theme is that throughout your life you’re going to go through some hard times. Things and people do change, but always have the confidence to follow your dreams and what you believe in. In the Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, Junior challenges the intolerance of diversity by breaking out of the tribe’s hold and defying the boundaries of stereotypes and the overall Indian tradition.
In the beginning, Junior understands that him moving to another school will cause havoc in the tribe itself. When Junior decides to move from the school in the rez to Reardan, the small school for the richest white kids, he is building a tall wall between him and his tribe. Since he decided to move to the white school, his tribe members see him as a traitor or an apple: red on the outside, white on the inside. Although his parents are accepting of him moving to Reardan, they know that the tribe will see him as a traitor. His mother warns him that “‘you’ll be the first one to ever leave the rez this way,’ Mom said. ‘The Indians around here are going to be angry with you’” (Alexie 47). Junior has to struggle with not only the white kids hating him, but the whole tribe as well.
Junior realizes that if he leaves, he is not going to welcomed with open arms at Reardan High School. Once Junior gets to Reardan, the white kids are not very open to diversifying their school so they tend to leave Junior out of most things and pay no attention to him. He explains that “Those white kids did not talk to me. They barely looked at me” (Alexie 83). The only time they do look at him, it’s when they are calling him racist and stereotypical names. Junior struggles with this and realizes that he “knew I’d have to put a stop to it eventually or I’d always be known as “Chief” or “Tonto” or “Squaw Boy” (Alexie 64). Junior deals with name calling from both surroundings, the Indian side and the White side by trying to ignore it and make the best out of what he is given.
Even though Junior has a lot of things against him, he still manages to make the best out of all the things that are being thrown at him. Junior still attempts to make friends no matter what people think about him. He tries to do things that make him happy. After many long weeks of being ignored by everyone in school, Junior finally decides to become friends with the smartest kid in school, Gordy. One morning Junior goes up Gordy and says, “‘I mean, you and I, we have a lot in common.’ … And so we did become friends. Not the best of friends. Not like Rowdy and me. We didn’t share secrets. Or dreams. No, we studied together. Gordy taught me how to study” (Alexie 94). Junior does not let the tribe, who is afraid of diversity and change, stop him from doing what is best for him.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is still being censored today for multiple things such as the language and the themes. This book was first censored in 2009 (“Banned Book Week: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian”). Many parents have wanted this book censored because they feel that it is unsuitable for children going into freshman year to read. Although the book is centered in Junior’s freshman year and most of the things that happen to him are things that could potentially happen to the kids reading this book, parents still feel that it is inappropriate. I feel that censorship should not be something that artists, writers, directors, etc should be worried about. People should be able to produce what they want and not have to be worried about what someone else wants. Although this book does have some risky topics in it, it should not be banned so that no one can read it. People should have the choice to read what they want, when they want.
Overall, Junior challenges diversity throughout the entire novel and attempts to make his own peace with it. Junior is forced to make peace with diversity while having to deal with being an outcast in the rez, and Reardan. Junior also struggles with having to deal with the backlash of transferring from the school in the rez to Reardan. Junior is forced to be on the outside looking inside in both communities that he is now a part of. Junior still manages to make a change in both sides and help them make peace with diversity while helping himself at the same time. Junior has a choice to change his surroundings and although everyone is not open to change in the beginning, he manages to get them to open up to an opportunity to celebrate diversity for both Reardan and the rez.
Works Cited:
Boston: Little, Brown and Company